sdsgibb wrote:How can I drink tea throughout the day and NOT spend the evenings unable to sleep???

When in a state of sufficient sleep deprivation, it often works just fine. But when not.....

sdsgibb wrote:

debunix wrote:Past a certain point, I will continue a gongfu session, but won't start a new one. Or, I might concoct a caffeine-free herbal mix and brew that up.

What sort of herbal mix are we talking? Brewing in a gaiwan?

Most of the time when I prepare something herbal, I start with chamomile, which has so many fine bits that I resort to a large glass teapot with a metal strainer insert. As for what herbal mix, I keep a collection of various dried ingredients on hand, things I recognize from the ingredients sections of various teas I've liked or read about in other contexts--chamomile, hibiscus, mint, tulsi (holy basil), citrus peel, rose hips, licorice root, linden flowers, gamro (hydrangea leaf), etc--and mix n' match those based on my mood, perhaps with a bit of whole spices (cinnamon, cardamom, saffron, cloves) or fresh ingredients (lemon, ginger root, lemon grass, rosemary). It's all pretty whimsical but usually quite tasty, sometimes very much so.

Sounds good, have a gong fu porclein pot en route will try this when it gets here! Have some tulsi growing around the place!

jextxadore wrote:Which teas do you manage to continue for 4–5 steeps? I find any tea greener than Anxi TGY loses it after the 4th.

Deep roasted oolongs and powerful puerhs can have a very pleasing and long 'sweetwater' phase, where the infusions are very delicate and subtle, and some of us like those enough to prolong the infusions to 20 or 30 or more, and some find them to bland and stop sooner. But green teas and greener oolongs just don't have that kind of stamina.

Definitely hojicha, cheap, sweet and (almost) caffeine-free. Also, if you can find it, hibiscus tea is delicious and has a calming effect.Or you could try jextxadore's grandpa's way. Might take a bit and loads of sleepless nights, though.

jextxadore wrote:Which teas do you manage to continue for 4–5 steeps? I find any tea greener than Anxi TGY loses it after the 4th.

Deep roasted oolongs and powerful puerhs can have a very pleasing and long 'sweetwater' phase, where the infusions are very delicate and subtle, and some of us like those enough to prolong the infusions to 20 or 30 or more, and some find them to bland and stop sooner. But green teas and greener oolongs just don't have that kind of stamina.

I have yet to find time to infuse pu-erh 30 times…will find the time one day though.

amaranto wrote:

Which teas do you manage to continue for 4–5 steeps? I find any tea greener than Anxi TGY loses it after the 4th.

I always get more than five from puer, sometimes an extra from Bai Mu Dan, usually from Dong Dings and from good Mi Lan Dan Congs, and sometimes from a few of the Chinese reds I have.

I agree that the greener teas generally loose flavour around steep number four. I usually don't get more than three out of most of them, but I don't drink green tea or green oolongs very much.

And I almost always drink green oolongs (because we have too much at home).

sdsgibb wrote:

jextxadore wrote:Which teas do you manage to continue for 4–5 steeps?

Mmm maybe Im doing it wrong but I go up to 9 on a good high mountain oolong, at least 5 on most my puerh and other oolongs...